Forceps

ABSTRACT

A forceps for medical use, particularly for gripping the cervix without tissue damage and having jaws with fixed or removable and disposable tips. A forceps with one tip having an inwardly turned smooth convex edge and the other tip having a smooth concave edge, preferably semicircular, with the one tip positionable within the arc of the other for cradling and gripping the cervix during interuterine medical procedures.

United States Patent [191 Karman 1 Dec. 18, 1973 FORCEPS [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Medical Concepts, lnc., El Segundo,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Oct. 18, 1971 [2]] Appl. N0.: 190,117

Harvey Karman, Los Angeles, Calif.

[521 U.S. Cl 128/321, 128/017, 128/346 [51] Int. Cl.... A61b 17/28, A6lb 17/42, A61b 1/30 [58] Field of Search 128/321,10,ll, 128/17, 18, 19,321, 322, 323, 324, 340, 346, 351

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,340,501 5/1920 Roberts 128/321 2,587,486 2/1952 Kogan.... 128/017 2,973,761 3/1961 Kohl 128/346 1,462,202 7/1923 H0pper..... 128/321 3,589,369 6/1971 Alksnis 128/354 1,586,645 6/1926 Bierman ..128/321 XR 1,960,687 5/1934 Wills 128/321 2.139.428 12/1938 Tyvand 128/321 21601313 6/1952 Gladstone 128/321 XR 2,743,726 5/1956 Gries haber 128/321 3.209.753 10/1965 Hawkins et al 128/321 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlQNS 308,121 3/1929 Great Britain v. 128/323 Primary Examiner-Channing L. Pace Attorney-Ford W. Harris, Jr. et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A forceps for medical use, particularly for gripping the cervix without tissue damage and having jaws with fixed or removable and disposable tips. A forceps with one tip having an inwardly turned smooth convex edge and the other tip having a smooth concave edge, preferably semicircular, with the one tip positionable within the arc of the other for cradling and gripping the cervix during interuterine medical procedures.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures FORCEPS This invention relates to a tenaculum or forceps for use in medical procedures. The new and improved forceps is particularly suitable for holding the cervix and stabilizing the cervical opening during interuterine procedures, all in a nontraumatic manner.

Prior art instruments have been of the clamping, pinching or piercing type which provide a firm grip between opposed toothed edges. While instruments of this type do provide a secure grip on the tissue, substantial tissue damage often occurs. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved forceps which will cradle and position the cervix without injury to tissue. A further object is to provide such a forceps which will engage the cervix in a nontraumatic manner and retain the cervix in position for subsequent medical procedures and in particular, will provide a passage for insertion of a catheter or other instrument.

It is a particular object to provide such a forceps incorporating removable tips of a soft yet firm material, allowing for the individual packaging of pairs of sterilized tips and disposal of tips after use.

Other objects, advantages, features and results will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, illustrating the use of a forceps incorporating a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views taken along the lines 2-2, 33, and 44, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing an alternative tip configuration;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing another alternative embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken along the lines 88 and 9-9, respectively, of FIG. 7.

The forceps of FIGS. 1-4 includes jaw members l2, l3 pivoted together at 14, each having a finger loop and locking teeth 16.

In the embodiment illustrated, the jaw member 12 has a removable tip 18 and the jaw member 13 has a removable tip 19. Typically the main portions of the jaw members are made of stainless steel and the tips are made of a plastic such as polyethylene or polystyrene. The main portion of the jaw member may include a bulbous end 20 for positioning in an enlarged zone within the tip to lock the tip in position.

The tip 18 preferably has an inwardly turned end 23 with a smooth convex edge 24. The tip 19 preferably has an inwardly turned end 25 with a smooth concave edge 26. The end 25 preferably is semicircular in configuration, as best seen in FIG. 2, and is dimensioned so that the tip 18 is positionable within the arc of the end 25.

A groove 29 preferably is formed along the outer side of the jaw member 12 including the tip 18 providing a guide and cradle for a catheter or similar instrument.

The use of the forceps in holding the cervix and stabilizing the cervical opening is illustrated in FIG. 1. The jaw members 12, 13 are inserted through the vaginal opening 32. The end 25 of the tip 19 is positioned in the groove 33 which occurs behind the muscle ring in the cervix 34. At the same time, the end 24 of the tip 18 is inserted through the cervical opening. The jaw members are then brought together in the conventional 5 manner by bringing the finger loops 15 toward each other and engaging the locking teeth 16. This holds the cervix between the tips 18, 19, with the edge 26 serving as a cradle for the cervix holding the cervix in the natural position, while the gripping action of the jaw members stabilizes and maintains the cervix in place. A catheter or other instrument may be readily inserted into the uterus along the groove 29. The end 23 preferably projects slightly beyond the end 25, as best seen in FIG. 1, for optimum engagement with the cervix. It is preferred to have the locking teeth 16 quite long in order to engage while there is a gap between the edges 25, 26, typically in the order of it: inch, so that the forceps may be locked without exerting excessive pressure on the tissue.

When the medical procedure is completed, the locking teeth 16 are disengaged, releasing the cervix, and the forceps is withdrawn. With this instrument, there is no damage to the tissue and therefore no traumatic effects.

While relatively short disposable tips are shown in FIG. 1, longer disposable tips can be utilized if desired. Also, the tips may be made integral with the remainder of the jaw members if desired and the entire instrument may be a disposable unit or may be a sterilizable and reusable unit. Also, the tips and the remainders of the jaw members may be made of different materials which are permanently joined together.

One alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The jaw member 12 has a tip 40 with an inwardly turned end 41 having a smooth convex edge. Jaw member 13 has a tip 42 with a semicircular end 43 having a smooth concave edge.

Another alternative embodiment is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, with jaw member 12 having an inwardly turned integral end 46 with a smooth convex edge and with jaw member 13 having an inwardly turned end 47 with a smooth concave edge. The instruments of FIGS. 5 and 6 and of FIGS. 7-9 are used in the same manner as described in conjunction with the instrument of FIGS. 1-4.

I claim: 1. Cervical forceps comprising first and second members having jaw ends and finger engageable ends, and interconnected at a pivot point for manual movement of the tip ends toward and away from each other,

said jaw members being curved in the plane of pivotal movement adjacent the pivot point, said first jaw member being at the convex side of the bend,

said first jaw member being of generally semicircular cross-sectional shape and defining a cannula guide groove in the outer side thereof away from said second member, with said groove extending from adjacent said pivot point all the way to the tip end which tip end terminates in a smooth convex end edge portion turned toward said second jaw member,

said second jaw member having a tip end with a transversely extending smooth concave edge projecting toward said first jaw member, with said first jaw member tip end positionable within the arc of said concave edge for cradling a cervix therebetween.

member and is semicircular in configuration with said first member positionable within the arc of said second member end.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,779,248 Dated December 18, 1223 Inventor s) HARVEY KARMAN It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Patent No.

[75] Inventor:, "Los Angeles" should be --Playa del Rey--;

. and

Column 3, claim 2, line 2, after "extends", insert --beyond-- (claim 5, line 2 of original specification).

Signed and sealed this 17th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) AttBSti MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. Cervical forceps comprising first and second members having jaw ends and finger engageable ends, and interconnected at a pivot point for manual movement of the tip ends toward and away from each other, said jaw members being curved in the plane of pivotal movement adjacent the pivot point, said first jaw member being at the convex side of the bend, said first jaw member being of generally semicircular crosssectional shape and defining a cannula guide groove in the outer side thereof away from said second member, with said groove extending from adjacent said pivot point all the way to the tip end which tip end terminates in a smooth convex end edge portion turned toward said second jaw member, said second jaw member having a tip end with a transversely extending smooth concave edge projecting toward said first jaw member, with said first jaw member tip end positionable within the arc of said concave edge for cradling a cervix therebetween.
 2. A forceps as defined in claim 1 wherein said first member end extends and overlys said second member end.
 3. A forceps as defined in claim 1 wherein said second member end is turned inwardly toward said first member and is semicircular in configuration with said first member positionable within the arc of said second member end. 